If you want to become an athlete, you probably already know that being the best that you can be requires a lot of preparation. In order to excel at the sport of your choice, you can greatly raise your chances of success by making some positive decisions about your lifestyle . Although the sooner you begin the better, it is never too late to implement positive changes; and you may be nicely surprised at how quickly you will begin to see results. Deciding to take on a healthier lifestyle will soon feel almost as if it is second-nature to you.

What is the best kind of lifestyle for an athlete? Logically, it is one which will have you in the best possible condition. In order to do well as an athlete, you need to be in good shape! If you are serious about becoming a good athlete, one very important fact to keep in mind is that there is very little which has the ability to stand in the way of your progress than using drugs and alcohol. If you wish to be your absolute best with your sport, keeping drugs and alcohol out of your life is essential.

You may not be certain about how using these substances has the potential to harm your potential, so let’s look at some of the facts about this subject. It is likely that you already know that putting substances into your system is unhealthy for your body. Although each type has a different effect, you would find such effects as slowing your time in reacting, slowing or speeding up your heartbeat, and numerous other negative effects which your body does not need. As an athlete needs to be able to perform at his or her peak capacity, keeping your body in the best possible condition should be your number-one priority.

In addition to avoiding the negative effects which drugs and alcohol can have on your body, it is equally important that an athlete not impair his mind with substances. If you are not familiar with this aspect of the subject, the fact is it is just as damaging. Whether your goal is to have a future in sports, or whether you are only taking up a sport as a hobby, the surest way to lose your motivation is by using marijuana, alcohol, or other drugs. The kind of cloudy thinking and unmotivated feelings which are generated by substances is not the recipe for success.

Whatever your own personal goal is for your chosen sport, it is likely that you want to be the best that you can be. You know that you need to be physically fit and mentally strong in order to meet that goal. Keeping your body and mind free of alcohol and drugs is as much a part of the lifestyle for a successful athlete as the exercises and training which you will do in preparation to reach your goal. You can be the best– if you don’t allow alcohol or drugs to stand in your way.

Ayurveda, an integrated system of medicine emphasis on an ideal life style based on yoga which helps to remove stress and leads to relaxation which are extremely effective in reducing the allergy symptoms by tempering the immune system’s response to the offender.

a) Practicing yoga posture in a relaxing way with slow deep breathing relaxes the nervous system is beneficial in fighting allergies.

** Kapalabhati breathing is great for allergies as it forces out the mucus.

** Standing poses-forward and backward bends, and twists tends to massage various parts of the spine and the thoracic cage and condition the lungs.

b) Lifestyle to be changed if one has a stressful job or home life. Meditation and relaxation techniques calms the nerves and loosen up muscles and treats allergy.

c) Few guidelines for managing allergy are :

** Allergies aggravates when routine of life is hectic, so one should have a regular routine of life.

** Do yoga postures which strengthen the body’s natural resistance and helps the body block toxic reactions and strengthens the liver, which boosts the immunity.

** Ayuvedic herbal preparations can be very beneficial, and some of the most promising anti-allergy herbs include: turmeric, Picrorhiza kurroa, Tinospora cordifolia, and Triphala. Taking Triphala helps “keep the colon clean,” which reduces the buildup of improperly digested food remains, and their associated toxins.

** Include detoxifying spices in your daily diet like turmeric which has anti-allergy, immune-balancing effects.

** Go to bed by 10:00 P.M as between 10 PM and 2 AM, the body performs a natural cycle of internal cleansing.

** Eat the largest meal when you are most capable of digesting it i.e, between 12.00 and 1.00 pm.

** Cold drinks, ice cream, frozen yogurt and other cold foods are to be avoided

** Avoid eating heavy evening meals, particularly after 7 PM.

** Avoid excessively hot spices, sour and acidic foods.

** Drinking alcohol or coffee should be stopped.

** Cleanse the body before the allergy season.

Needless to say, Ayurveda is an alternative therapy which helps to lead a healthy balanced life and is an effective way of treatment for allergy.

Although there are many types of anxiety, the majority of us at one time or another suffer from general anxiety which makes us feel anxious and worried about what’s on our mind. Although it’s considered normal to feel anxious or worried at times, general anxiety is characterized by excessive or unrealistic anxiety and worry about life or circumstances

Understand that this isn’t a fleeting concerned are a thought process that’s recognized in passing, but is persistent and ongoing. Many of the symptoms can also be related to the panic attacks as they are as much physical in nature is mental. While the symptoms aren’t as pronounced as those of a panic disorder, they can include muscle tension, sweating, stomach and intestinal pain, headaches and muscle tension. These symptoms are due to your body are working to prepare itself to deal with the perceived danger or situation that’s causing the anxiety.

The cause of anxiety disorder or excessive worrying is really unknown. Specific medical conditions and dealing with serious medical issues have been identified by some professional sources is one cause of anxiety. This should be questioned however, given that a reasonable person facing a serious medical condition or even someone dealing with that condition would naturally show concern and worry.

There are many people that believe that worrying about things that you can do nothing about is not only unproductive but can be a trigger for anxiety. This is not really accurate as even though you cannot directly control the cause, it can still impact you. A good example of this is the ongoing stress in many work environments today.

In earlier years, people in the workplace had to deal with office politics and satisfying the customer. Today however, the pace of technology has made many jobs obsolete or placed the unreasonable demands on employees. Add to this, the ongoing loss of middle-class jobs to offshore outsourcing companies, huge increases in taxes and Social Security that all but eliminate savings for many, and you have the perfect storm for many people to be anxiety ridden. Add to this the high cost of living that keeps many only a few paychecks from being homeless and anxiety can same very appropriate.

It’s simplistic to assume that someone coping with stress and anxiety in that sort of situation is worrying excessively. Although very few can directly change many aspects in this example, this may also tend to lock them into an anxiety ridden cycle.

If you believe you’re suffering from ongoing or constant worry caused by your life situation, you may want to consider rethinking your career and life with a view to simplify it. While the goal may originally have been the big house in the suburbs, two cars and a demanding career, the cost to obtain and keep that dream may be the ongoing worry and stress of anxiety disorder.

Does you lifestyle and work life offer you the freedom you crave? Do you wish weekends would go on forever? With the new retirement laws how long will you have to work? Do you love your current job and line of work, is it a joy you return to refreshed after you weekend break? It would be good if we all had work that fulfilled all our needs, fired our passions and stress was a thing of the past.

We are at our caravan and every window I look out of I see trees fluttering in the breeze. As it is school holiday time many families are still here, whilst with a sad farewell wave others returned on Sunday nights for another work week.

I have found what is perfect for me – I work at home. My home can be anywhere, in fact we winter in the sun. I work on my laptop and with an internet connection I have time and location freedom. There are many online businesses you could choose to set up according to your skills and preferences. For me it is affiliate marketing, as I like sharing knowledge and great products with others.

As I am a bit of a self-taught technophobe I didn’t want anything difficult to master, I do love learning techniques to grow my business but I wanted it to be as simple as possible. I relish the peace of shutting my office door and working at home, no more office rules and constraints, yes you may miss the office chit chat, but we were too busy for much of that!

It is important to put in sufficient hours as it is easy to become side-tracked and enjoy your freedom too much, work to a plan and persist in your efforts. If you choose an area or niche you are passionate about this will fire your enthusiasm and keep you on-track.

I found the simplest way to begin online is working with a mentor, it is easy to flounder when attempting to work alone. You can get swamped with information overload and not know where to turn, who to ask, or what to learn next.

Affiliate marketing with a good mentor, one whose teaching style suits you and your experience. Someone who provides excellent products in a great range to keep you customers inspired and growing in their chosen interest. (Most niches offer good affiliate programs, make a Google search) However if you find a mentor you like, at the beginning working with the niche supplied can be easier, and branch out later when you know what you are doing.

With a mentor you will receive good training which enables you to start earning commissions whilst you are learning the necessary techniques. You can also enjoy the comradeship and help of others learning at the same time. You will feel part of a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. You will also work to a tried and tested formula that others have proven to work which boosts you confidence and helps you multiply your efforts.

Later when you are confident and able, you will be able to branch out into many areas of internet marketing according to your preferences. There are many millionaires in the industry and many part-time mum’s the choice is yours. I find working at home satisfying, peaceful and love the freedom, would it suit you? No more commuting, enjoy flexi-time with the family, and an interest to continue into retirement.

Now all this doesn’t happen overnight, so don’t sack the boss yet. begin in your spare-time, give up some TV! (Quote from “How to Boost Your Brain Power – conventional TV is believed to offer little stimulation for the mind.”)

Make a plan of how and when you can achieve your dream of time and location freedom. Watch some YouTube video’s for ideas, look at magazine racks for niches that interest you, and you are passionate about. Make some Google searches and you will be amazed at the numbers searching for ways to “work at home”. So whilst you have paid work to support you, make a decision to improve your future and live your dream.

It is a good idea to read some of the good motivational books available:

So, you made the decision to stop-smoking – congratulations! You have to have strong willpower in order to stop-smoking but it also helps to make some lifestyle changes. If you continue your habits, you will notice that you have more of a craving for a cigarette.

Cigarette smoking is one of the most addictive substances there is. Each year, millions of people try to quit and many of them succeed. But many of them fail. In order not to fail when you stop-smoking, you should make it a point to make some changes in your lifestyle so that you have a better chance of remaining smoke free.

One thing that you should do is to find something else to do with your time when you normally have a smoking break. If you find that you are going outside to have a cigarette each day at 10 a.m., find something else to do with that break time. You can read a magazine or even practice some sort of art form for that quick break. Anything but going outside where you will feel inclined to have a cigarette.

When you stop-smoking, it is a good idea to tell your friends. This way you can enlist their support to help you stop-smoking. If you feel the urge for a cigarette, talk to one of your encouraging friends who will warn you off the cigarette. Friends like to be of use, so use them in this way. Promise to do the same thing for someone else as a way to pay back this debt.

Many people find that it is very difficult to go to a bar when you are trying to stop-smoking. Alcohol loosens your inhibitions and makes you want to do things that you know you should not. Try avoiding bars for a while or go to those that are smoke free. This is at least until you get over the one month hump where you can say that you are smoke free.

It takes 48 hours for the nicotine to get out of your system and the physical dependency on cigarettes to subside. Once this is over, you have only a psychological dependency on smoking cigarettes.

Make some lifestyle changes to help you stop-smoking by finding something to do with your hands while you are watching television or other times when you are normally smoking. You can try needlework, drawing, or even using a finger exercise ball to give you something to do when you are sitting there, aching for a cigarette.

Speaking of exercise, try incorporating exercise into your life once you stop-smoking. Many people who stop-smoking end up gaining weight after they quit. Cigarette cravings tend to feel like food cravings. Instead of eating, exercise.

Once you make up your mind to stop-smoking, make these changes in your lifestyle and you will see that you not only feel better about yourself, but you look better as well.

How much do we care about our health? Do we make an effort to lead a healthy lifestyle ? How well are we doing? These facts and figures give us a few insights.

Holistic Health Outranks Wealth

Emotional and physical well-being are more important to Americans than money and career, according to a survey by a national trade association of health clubs. When 1,400 people were asked to rank various aspects of life as essential or important, 97 percent chose emotional well-being and 96 percent selected physical health, but only 78 percent and 75 percent, respectively, selected career and money.

Source: International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association

Healthy Lifestyle : A Rare Commodity

Only three percent of American adults follow a healthy lifestyle — not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, eating five or more fruits and vegetables daily, and being active. That’s what researchers at Michigan State University in East Lansing concluded after examining the lifestyle habits of 153,000 people.

Source: Archives of Internal Medicine

Strange Park Habits

Last year, more than 276 million people visited North America’s National Parks but only 10 percent ventured more than a mile from their cars, according to statistics compiled by Austin-Lehman Adventures, a company that organizes guided adventure vacations. Perhaps we’re confusing parks with parking lots.

Source: Austin Lehman Adventures

Eating for Health

Eating a nutrient-dense diet with 10 to 25 percent fewer calories than the American average can dramatically reduce the risk for diseases associated with aging. A six-year study showed that middle-aged people eating 1,100 to 1,950 calories daily, containing 26 percent protein, 28 percent fat and 46 percent complex carbohydrates, had blood-pressure levels comparable to 10-year-olds and triglyceride levels of 20-year-olds.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

The Organic Plant Advantage

You can get up to 60 percent more antioxidants from some fruits and vegetables by eating organically grown varieties. University of California, Davis researchers found that organic corn, strawberries and Marion berries produce significantly higher levels of antioxidant compounds when they have to fend for themselves against insects. Pesticides diminish the plants’ antioxidant-producing abilities.

Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

RVs Encourage Healthy Vacations

Ninety-four percent of people who vacation in an RV say they lead a healthier lifestyle on the road, according to a survey by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association in Reston, VA. While traveling, 40 percent of RV enthusiasts walk three to ten miles daily, 85 percent experience less stress, and 75 percent cook their own meals rather than relying on fast food.

Source: Recreation Vehicle Industry Association

Walk or Run?

“Studies indicate that if you can walk a mile in 12 minutes you get exactly the same energy expenditure as running a mile in nine minutes,” says Kenneth Cooper, M.D., at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, TX. Cooper originally coined the term “aerobics” as we know it today, and pioneered the use of exercise to prevent heart disease. Injury strikes 65 percent of runners but only 21 percent of walkers.

Source: Kenneth Cooper, M.D., and Sports Injury Bulletin

Living for a Century

If you’re in your 40s or 50s, you have a one-in-twenty chance of living to age 100 in good health, according to Tom Perls, M.D., who heads an ongoing study of centenarians at Boston University School of Medicine. Most likely, you will at least reach your mid 80s. The Census Bureau expects 757,000 Americans to be a century old by 2045. A diet that keeps you lean, regular exercise and not smoking will improve your odds of celebrating your 100th birthday.

As man continues to evolve and make progress, change is inevitable, and this change has touched on all areas of our lives including health and fitness. Gone are the days when we ate, drank and made merry, now the focus is all about healthy lifestyles and keeping fit. This article on health and fitness tips will feature simple methods that you can take advantage of in your daily life to enjoy good health and keep fit.

One of the first things we need to take control of is our diet. A healthy balanced diet will enable you to enjoy a healthy life for a long time to come. All those fats that are not good for the body have to go. True, we love our burgers and French fries, hot dogs and sausages, cheeses and spare ribs and all the other yummy things that are not good for our health. You have to lean on meats, chicken and fish are best, and low fat in milk and cheese. Make a firm decision and stick with it to see a difference in your well-being.

Do not stagnate – move! Grab every opportunity you can to move your body. Even if you have a desk job, you can always stand, stretch or take a short walk now and then. Use the stairs instead of the elevator, walk to the grocery store for your milk and paper. If you are not a gym aficionado, then walk the dog. Take your exercise in small doses and you will soon get a rhythm going.

Get rid of the stress, you may not think it but stress contributes to poor health. When you are stressed, you get headaches, high blood pressure, stomach trouble, and a whole lot of other ailments, but the worst part of the stress is it ruins your posture. Find things to do every day that you enjoy doing and take at least 30 minutes to enjoy a good book or magazine, a favorite TV program, play with your dog or just soak in the tub.

Water is one of our most precious gifts and drinking copious amounts of it helps flush the toxins out of your system. Water contributes to replenishing body fluids and makes the skin look healthy. It flushes the liver and kidneys making them function more efficiently. Water is essential to the well-being of your body, and you should hydrate at regular intervals throughout the day.

I always wonder with only 24 hours in a day, how does one balance a busy life, that includes a demanding job, three kids with different activities, some kind of personal physical activity to keep the heart pumping, eight hours of sleep, and grab three square meals? Unfortunately, without proper nutrition, you will soon run out of gas, and those 24 hours will seem shorter or longer in some cases.

Choosing, preparing, proportioning, and combing the best foods available will help you fuel your body and soul, so that you are able to perform all the tasks necessary for the day. However we all fall in the trap of eating what is convenient rather than what is good. So what can we do to supplement the food we eat? Nowadays, for convenience, the shelves of many delicatessens, quick marts, and 7-11’s are stocked with cans of some sort of nutrition. Some are better than others, however most are made from sugar with little or no significant nutrition. Basically, they taste good, rather than be good for you.

So where do you begin your journey for finding great nutrition?

Start with consulting with your healthcare team when working on your diet.

Working with your healthcare team, have a blood test to determine the vitamins and minerals that may be lacking.

Write out a meal plan that would build up your vitamin and mineral levels. In addition to writing your meal plan in advance, this plan will help you stock your pantry with all the food you should be eating. Therefore, you choose to avoid foods that you were not planning to eat.

Read all the ingredients and nutritional facts of all the foods you eat.

Purchase organic foods.

Review with your healthcare team to determine if a nutritional supplement, shake, additional vitamins and minerals will round out your nutrition plan.

In your supplement, you should check to see if the ingredients have the following · Prebiotic and Digestive Enzymes, which aid in breaking down food that improves digestion, regularity, and the absorption of nutrients. · Protein and Essential Amino Acids to assist in building long and lean muscles. · Antioxidants and Phyonutrients to help counteract free radical damage which can lead to degenerative diseases such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease. · Low Glycemic Index. This means that your blood sugar level rises less than other carbs that have a higher glycemic index. Foods with a higher glycemic index include, pretzels (GI=83), potatoes (GI=93), white rice (GI=64), and corn flakes (GI=81).*

Again, your healthcare team can determine what maybe lacking in your diet, and as a result of this malnourishment, you may have some associate ailments.

Here is one of my favorite smoothie recipe 1-1/2 scoops or 1 package of chocolate smoothie powder (greenberry is the other flavor) 1 Tbsp. peanut butter 1 stalk of kale leaves (note that the stem is kind of bitter so just use the leafy part) 1 banana 1 cup ice 8 oz. almond milk. Just make sure that the powder that you use to create your smoothie is made from high quality ingredients.

Use a high-speed blender to blend. If you do not have a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtech, do not add the kale leaves. Enjoy the shake!

The index was produced by the website uSwitch.com, a comparator site for consumer services and products. They publish an annual quality of life index across the main countries of Europe.

According to their study, France enjoys one of the lowest retirement ages, has the longest life expectancy in Europe and spends the most on healthcare. It also has one of the highest levels of spending on education.

French workers also benefit from 34 days holiday a year – compared with only 28 days in the UK – and it comes only behind Spain and Italy for hours of sunshine. France has an average of 1,967 hours of sunshine per year, compared with 1,476 hours in the UK.

The study shows that money does not buy everything, for the UK has the highest net household income in Europe. At £35,730 it is £10,325 higher than the European average.

However, people living in the UK also have to contend with a high cost of living – the average household energy bill alone adds up to an eye watering £1,239 a year while they also pay £1,175 a year in council tax.

Even travel is expensive with a 30 mile journey into London on a train setting commuters back over £3,000 a year.

Drawing on official figures from the EU, the study shows that the same basket of goods that costs £134.48 in the UK costs £124 on average in Europe and only £118.76 in France, which enjoys the lowest food prices amongst those countries in the study.

While they earn less, the French also have some of the lowest alcohol, electricity and gas prices.

France is the biggest investor in health, spending 11% of GDP on health, closely followed by Denmark and Germany.

Question From Ann, NewYork City: Every time I begin a fitness program, life gets in the way, I start stalling and before I know it I’ve fallen off the wagon and gained 5lbs. I can’t really afford a personal trainer but I can see how they can help you stay on track. I’ve tried DVD’s and classes with no success. Is there anything out there that can help me?

Answer : Thank you Ann for your honesty, I know many women have similar frustrations while pursuing their fitness lifestyle . There’s a lot of new research out there in the Fitness world and from that dearth of research is a new hybrid of personal trainers. They’re called Fitness Lifestyle Coaches, they can provide both exercise and behavioral guidance and they are a cheaper alternative to a Personal Fitness Trainer. I will address your question in the mindset of a Fitness Lifestyle Coach so you will catch a glimpse of how the lifestyle fitness coaching process can work.

So, lets get down to basics and define fitness, which includes three elements. First you need a cardio challenge where the heart and breathing rate are significantly raised. The second ingredient is strength training where the muscles are challenged with resistance work. Thirdly is Flexibility, muscles need to stretch to maintain mobility. Remember, you get stiff then you get old. Trying to take on all 3 elements in the beginning may feel daunting, so don’t.

Pick one element you enjoy; all three are equally important so choosing one can be the key to starting a lifestyle in which you can consistently participate. Once one element becomes a habit, because you enjoy it, which usually takes 28 days, you can add another. Add each element gradually and in small doses so as not to overwhelm your self. Of course, if you enjoy two or even all three fitness elements, dedicate a small amount of time to each so you experience success with the designated time for each element. Be realistic in your time allotment, if you can’t live up to it you’ll feel like a failure, so choose smaller time frames and experience success. Think ‘do a little less and emphasize success’ and it builds self-confidence.

You need to find what motivates or turns you on, so to get motivated you need a Fitness Vision. This vision entails using your imagination to project into your future. Ask yourself what it would look like to see yourself living your fitness lifestyle successfully after a year or two? Visualize how you’ll look, act, eat, sleep etc. until you can feel it, see it, smell it, breathe it. By making it as real as possible to yourself you’ll start to feel the excitement bubble up in you. Now that’s getting your mojo working for you.

Now set goals for you to make that vision happen. Where am I now? How can I get closer to that vision in 3months/ 6months? On a weekly basis, what do I do? Start with small weekly goals, so you can feel a sense of accomplishment every time you meet your goals. Then every week, add a little more challenge and because you are living up to your goals successfully, your self-confidence grows.

We all know how life gets in the way, that progress is never linear. So get creative and for see possible problems. In your mind play out how these obstacles can stop you and how you can find ways to work around them. This way when the problems come up your not caught off guard and you’ll be better prepared to deal with the situation and stay on track with your fitness lifestyle .

Yes, hiring a trainer makes it easier to stay on track with your fitness, but doing it yourself can be satisfying, rewarding, and even more empowering because you have thoughtfully come up with your own solutions instead of just following orders.

A Personal Trainer shows up with exercise programs that challenge you and keep you progressing to higher levels of fitness. Where as a Lifestyle Fitness Coach challenges you to get creative, problem solve, know yourself better and break through barriers, helping you break old habits, building confidence to develop healthier new ones so you can maintain a fitness lifestyle independently.

A Lifestyle Fitness Coach will also give a training session once a week and address specific exercise needs. You can find a fitness coach by going to http://www.wellcoaches.com or just Google Lifestyle Fitness Coaches.

I would love to hear from you, questions, comments, problems, accomplishments email deb@vitalsignsfitness.com. Now go out there and get your mojo working!